Past (Tense) Simple (Aspect)

Past (Tense) Simple (Aspect):

Pedagogical term: Simple past tense

FORM: The past tense form of the verb, which is often, but not always –ed.
EXAMPLE: walk
I walked we walked

You walked you (all) walked

He/she/it walked they walked
EXAMPLE: sing
I sang we sang

You sang you (all) sang

He/she/it sang they sang
USAGES:
Completed/finished actions or states.
WSU cancelled classes on January 31 and February 2.
The time of the completion is generally known.
A lot of the staff arrived here early on the morning of January 31.
Used in storytelling to retell successive events.
They were at their desks when the President announced the closure.

They left almost immediately after that.

Most went home directly.

A few stayed because their jobs required attendance.

Past (Tense) Progressive (Aspect):

Pedagogical term: Past progressive

FORM: The past tense form of the verb “to be” and the –ing form of the lexical verb.
EXAMPLE:
I was walking we were walking

You were walking you (all) were walking

He/she/it was walking they were walking
USAGES:
To express ongoing action in the past that is ongoing at a certain expressed/understood point in time.
He was sleeping last night at ten p.m.
To express ongoing action in the past that is ongoing. In some sense this action may be “interrupted” by another action of shorter duration. It could also be juxtaposed against another action (of shorter duration) in the past.
While I was washing the laundry, he brought the groceries in from the car.
He was sleeping when that the phone rang.
To express ongoing action in the past that is parallel in duration to another ongoing action (of relatively the same duration) in the past. This is also often expressed in the simple past.
While she was making dinner, he was talking to his mother on the phone.
While she made dinner, he talked to his mother on the phone.
Past (tense) perfect (aspect): Pedagogical term: past perfect tense
FORM: Past tense of “have” (had) + past participle of the verb.
EXAMPLE:
I had walked we had walked

You had walked you (all) had walked

He/she/it had walked they had walked
EXAMPLE:
I had sung we had sung

You had sung you (all) had sung

He/she/it had sung they had sung

USAGE:
Used to express a non-ongoing action in the past that was over and done with before another action in the past (usually expressed in the past simple) took place.

She had heard the news before I saw her.

I had finished my work by the time the clock struck twelve.

To avoid sounding weird, you really need to have that definite point in the past clearly articulated.
She had seen him. (when? In relation to what?)

She had seen him prior to the crime.

Often the past perfect can be omitted and the simple past can be used because an adverb such as “before” makes the order of events clear.
She had known him for ten years before she married him.

She knew him for ten years before she married him.

Past (Tense) Perfect (Aspect) Progressive (Aspect): Pedagogical Term: Past Perfect Progressive
FORM: Past tense of “have” (had) + past participle of “be” (been) + -ing form of the lexical verb.
I had been walking we had been walking

You had been walking you (all) had been walking

He/she/it had been walking they had been walking
USAGE:
Refers to an ongoing action in the past which was finished by the time another action in the past took place. That other action is usually expressed in the past simple.
Adverbs with “by” are commonly used with the perfects.
I had been waiting for two months by the time I received the reply.

He had been thinking about his friends shortly before they called.

Choose past simple or past progressive aspect.
Last night, while I (do) ______ my homework, Angela (call) _____ . She(say) ______ she (call) _______ me on her cell phone from her biology classroom at UCLA. I (ask) _______ her if she (wait) ______ for class, but she (say) ______ that the professor (be) ______ at the front of the hall in the middle of a lecture while she (talk) ________ to me. I (negative/believe) she (make) _________ a phone call during the lecture. I (ask)________ what (go) _________ on.
She (say) _______ her biology professor (be) ________ so boring that several of the students (sleep, actually) ________in class. Some of the students (talk) ______about their plans for the weekend and the student next to her (draw) ________ a picture of a horse. When Angela (tell) _______me she (be) _________ not satisfied with the class, I (mention) _________that my biology professor (be) _______ quite good and (suggest) _________that she switch to my class.
While we (talk) ________, her professor (yell) _________, "Miss, are you making a phone call?" Suddenly, the line (go) ______ dead. I (hang) ________up the phone and (go) ________ to the kitchen. As I (cut) _______vegetables for a salad, the phone (rang) _______ once again. It (be) Angela, but this time she (negative sit) _________in class.

Choose past simple aspect or present perfect aspect.

1. Jack (live) ________in Boston for the past 15 years..

2. Peter (play) ______Tennis for five years when he (be) ______at school.

3. Jane: Can you help me? I(finish) ____________my homework, but I still don't understand number 7.

4. I (work) _________in Italy for 5 years. I (begin) _______work as soon as I (arrive) ____________.

5. When Jack was at school, he (learn) ____________to play the saxophone. He (play) _________it ever since.

6. Could you give me some advice? I (buy) __________this sweater at Macy's. Do you think I should take it back?

7. Peter (go) ________to Paris last year. That means that he (be) ________to Paris 3 times!

8. How long (you/live) _________there before you (come) ______________ here?

Choose past simple aspect or past perfect.

1. I (get) _____________home and (find) __________ that someone (try) ______________to break into the house.

2. I (celebrate) ___________ last Friday night because I (pass) __________my exams on Thursday.
3. I (see) ____________ a bad accident on my way here. Two cars (crash) ___________ at the crossroads.
4. I (go) ___________ to the cinema and a minute later the film (start) ___________ .
5. I (go) _________ to the cinema and and (realize) _______ that the film (already/start) _____________ .